The Middle Manager's Delegation Dilemma

Above The Frame: [Announcement]

Through the Lens: What 144 Leaders Said About Their Delegation Dilemma

Hey Leader,

Two years ago, Jacob Espinoza asked you about your biggest delegation challenges. I wanted to take a moment to reflect on some of those results and provide some resources to help you (and me as well) navigate these roadblocks!

Based on the subscribers who responded to the poll in that newsletter, the data reflects:

• 41 of you said "Lack of Delegation Skills"

• 40 said "Fear of Losing Control"

• 22 struggle with "Lack of Trust in Employees' Abilities"

• 24 face "Resistance from Employees"

• 17 have "Difficulty in Letting Go"

Out of 144 responses, that's 72% of you dealing with the exact same core issue: We know we need to delegate, but we don't know how or we're afraid to let go.

Then I remembered Jacob introduced a delegation matrix, we will call it “The Leader’s Lens Delegation Matrix,” that would drastically help leaders like us figure out what to do, what to delegate, and what to stop doing entirely.

The Leader's Lens Delegation Matrix: Your Delegation Decision Tool

First, let’s walk through the Leader’s Lens Delegation Matrix again that has helped hundreds of middle managers, including me, break free from the "do everything yourself" trap:

DO NOW (High Impact + Only You Can Do It)

• Maximum 3 priorities

• Tasks that directly drive results

• Things that leverage your unique position/skills

DO NEXT (Important + Only You Can Do It)

• Important but not urgent

• Schedule these within 30 days

• Everything else goes to a "parking lot"

DELEGATE (Important + Others Can Do It)

• Tasks that develop your team

• Work that frees you for higher-impact activities

• Opportunities for others to grow

DON'T DO (Low Impact + Time Wasters)

• Bad habits that hold you back

• Tasks that prevent you from focusing on priorities

• Boundaries you need to maintain

How This Solves Your Biggest Delegation Challenges

For the 41 Who Need Delegation Skills:
The Matrix gives you a clear decision-making framework. Instead of wondering "Should I delegate this?" you ask: "Does this belong in my DO NOW or DO NEXT boxes? If not, it goes to DELEGATE."

For the 40 Struggling with Control:
The Matrix helps you see that delegation isn't about losing control – it's about strategic focus. You're not giving up important work; you're choosing to focus on the work that only you can do.

For the 22 Who Don't Trust Team Abilities:
The DELEGATE box includes this key question: "Who would benefit most from this experience?" This reframes delegation from "dumping work" to "developing people."

How to make Delegation Actually Works

When you move something to the DELEGATE box, use this 4-question framework to ensure success:

1. Why is this project important? (Connect it to bigger goals)

2. What is my role in completion? (Clear ownership)

3. When do my tasks need to be completed? (Specific deadlines)

4. How do I complete my tasks? (Resources and process)

I learned this the hard way when I delegated a report compilation to my team member without explaining why the data mattered. They did the work, but missed the insights because they didn't understand the context.

That caused me to do some rework… which then created more frustration on my end because I didn’t set up expectations well from the beginning.

Your Weekly Matrix Process

The theory and the frameworks will not work if we don’t take the time to put it into practice. What if we adopted a process check like the one below to help up us take action consistently?

Monday Morning Matrix Review (15 minutes):

• List everything on your plate

• Sort into the four boxes

• Identify what needs to move from DO NEXT to DELEGATE

• Schedule your DO NOW priorities first

Wednesday Check-in (10 minutes):

• Review your FOLLOW-UP box

• Check progress on delegated items

• Provide recognition and feedback

Friday Reflection (10 minutes):

• What worked well this week?

• What should move to DON'T DO next week?

• How can you delegate more effectively?

Next Week's Challenge (Based on Your Matrix)

Since today is Friday and you mind may already be ready for the weekend, forward this email to your self and schedule it to be delivered at 7:30 am on Monday to take these next 5 steps:

Step 1: Do a brain dump of everything on your plate
Step 2: Sort it using the Leader's Lens Matrix
Step 3: Pick ONE item from your DO NEXT box that could move to DELEGATE
Step 4: Use the 4-question framework to delegate it properly
Step 5: Move it to FOLLOW-UP and schedule a check-in

Here's what I know to be true: The 144 of you who responded to that poll aren't struggling because you're bad leaders. You're struggling because you don't have a clear framework for making delegation decisions.

I am seeing this Leader's Lens Matrix as a strategic framework that helps you multiply your impact while developing your team.

Your team is waiting for you to trust them with meaningful work. The Matrix shows you exactly how to do it.

Now is the moment,

Ray

P.S. This Leader’s Lens Matrix makes me wonder if a step-by-step delegation toolkit would be helpful for our leadership. Could that be valuable for you? If so, hit reply and let me know which box you struggle with most.

Whenever you are ready, here are ways you can work with me:

• 🎤Speaking - As a Speaker and Facilitator, I will engage your team on how belonging and inclusivity can increase your team dynamics! ​Book Ray Now

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• 📘Consulting - As a Consultant, I will help strengthen your organizational culture to increase the employee experience and retention! Book a Consultation Now